Page 14 - March 2021 TTI

Today Michael is sober. He holds a
management position in a large Unlicensed Investigators Dangers
private business. For years he has
by Mark Carroll
paid exaggerated child support fees

for a young man he has never been As chairman of the TALI Unlicensed Activity committee, my
allowed to see. Michael finally has colleagues and I met with several LE agencies to gain insight that
a new court hearing scheduled in would hopefully be useful in abating unlicensed activity and
six months. Maybe he will finally protecting our potential clients and the public in general from
unscrupulous operators masquerading as licensed investigators.
get to meet his son. His faith has

been restored and he reports being
What was learned during these meetings with Texas House and Senate
happier that he has been since his representatives, their staffs, police departments, sheriff’s offices and
parents died. He asks for your agents from TDPS tasked with the ongoing enforcement efforts was
prayers to help him through the enforcement of these “codes” is difficult because they are not included
pending litigation. in the Texas Penal Code. Until the Occupational Codes are written
into and included in the Texas Penal Code they are not a priority for

local law enforcement. It should be noted that the Michigan State
About the Author: legislature has recently assed a law making it a felony to operate as a
C.M. “Mike” Adams is a licensed and certified private investigator without a license.
digital forensics examiner in Texas. He is a TALI
member and Vietnam Era veteran. He has Unlicensed operators pose a great risk to the public at large. The
potential for fraud and malfeasance associated with hiring an
owned and operated Prime Focus Forensics, LLC
unlicensed operator is largely unknown to the general public. Typical
for two decades. He was deployed to serve the
examples of such fraudulent activity includes taking retainers and not
United Nations Mission in Kosovo just after the
performing the work or the work product not being admissible, both
“War of Ethnic Cleansing” in 1999. He has of which cause harm to the individuals relying on the con-artist for
testified and consulted as an expert witness in assistance. Additionally, as the code reads now, individuals who
cases ranging from child custody to capital unknowingly hire these charlatans are exposed to fines up to $10,000
murder. as well!

12 | MARCH 2021 THE TEXAS INVESTIGATOR